FS AWA Big1

[The Tasmanian]

Bump! Photo added - price reduced

FS AWA Big1
Classic Australian broadcast compressor
Amazing bass compressor - amongst many other tasks..
Price reduced $1200...
PM me if interested

All of the mods have been done to this by Rob @ ProHarmonic.
Attack, release and bypass.

AWA Big1.jpg

[Hybrid88]

That is a rather impressive price there Chris, I remember a while back these things sold in no time at 2k.

Anyway, if you're thinking of selling a bit of stuff off send me a quick list if you can, might pick up some small things if it suits like cables and stuff (always like to get things locally if I can).

[Ben M]

I've owned a bunch of these...and still have one left. I can't let it go.

Chris, that price is totes cray.

I.must.stop.looking.at.for.sale.section.

[The Tasmanian]

Yes - I paid $1900 and then paid for the mods on top!
Rather move this at really good price than have it continually staring at me.

Must cull.

[Paul Maybury]

Funny, I couldn't sell my stereo AWA Big 1, racked and modded by Rob for $1500 I think it was last year on this forum. So I traded it for some diffusers and cash.
It was a cool limiter though. Great sounding signal path and unflappable gain reduction action.

[The Tasmanian]

Yeah - not many people know about them,
being AM radio station limiters - only in Australia.
Would not be that many made I would think - only so many radio stations in the country in the 70's.
The ones that do know them, really know how great they sound - Ive owned 2 of them.

[Paul Maybury]

It was/ is a great piece. I think I got around $2k for mine in trade and cash in the end.
At the time I needed to turn it into something else, but I wish I didn't have to let it go.
I used it on the mix bus from time to time as well as the usual stuff.
Cheers,
Paul

[filjorgez]

PM'd

[The Tasmanian]

On hold for Phil.

[Alastair Reynolds]

There were quite a lot made (relatively) many stations would have 2 of them, one for main TX , one on the standby TX and ABC had heaps of regional stations and translators .When they came out tariffs on something like a Gates Solid Statesman.(The descendant of Sta-level and level Devils) or the Maxx brothers(Audimax and Volumax)? meant it was a lot cheaper to buy an AWA or Transmission Products limiter. There are still plenty in service around the country too. Mine came out of regional SA .The big game changer in broadcast came in 1973 with Dorrough's invention of multiband compression and the DAP-310,but the limiter on it was crappy.
Solution:- .Disable limiter in DAP ,then run it into a BIG-1 for TX protection.,Asymetrically modulate to 130% or more.
Result:- They way most of us heard pop/rock on AM radio in the 70's
Funny... most of the sounds we like are mono processors for AM transmitters.

Chris, your one is special too for having the AGC card.most only had the limit module.AGC was a premium option. $100 extra on top of $450 for the base unit in 1970.

[The Tasmanian]

That is interesting Alistair, its great to know the history.
You are always enlightening us here with such great info!

I always thought the extra module was a gating module - unused.
Always wondered what the gating adjustment is for?

Its found a good home with Phil,
sad to see it go, but not getting enough use from me to warrant having it.

SOLD

[Alastair Reynolds]

Good to hear. Phil, I have PDF copies of original manuals.
PM me with an email address and I'll send them on.
Cheers
Alastair

[filjorgez]

Good to hear. Phil, I have PDF copies of original manuals.
PM me with an email address and I'll send them on.
Cheers
Alastair

thank you Alistair, for the good rare info, and the offer of the manuals, much appreciated.

[NYMo]

I had the Big 1A...not sure of the difference...someone from here got it a couple of years ago.

Cheers

[Alastair Reynolds]

BIG-1A was basically the same but the MK II version. Some refinements and notably new transistors BC337,BC549 , 1N914 diodes and in the revised power supply the exciting new LED lamp instead of an incandescent lamp. Actually a really big deal in the early 70s

[filjorgez]

Good to hear. Phil, I have PDF copies of original manuals.
PM me with an email address and I'll send them on.
Cheers
Alastair

thanks so much for the scan of the Big-1 manual Alastair,
love these old ones created by hand on a typewriter